we had a great time hosting friends for a backyard movie last night.
today was spent cleaning up and recovering.
you can read more about the backyard movie set up here.
Tag: outdoor movie
first feature of the backyard movie season
we had out first feature of the season in our backyard on monday night.
the cousins from new york had not seen big hero 6, so we watched it on the big screen in the backyard. it was a bit cool, so they bundled up with blankets while the adults sat around the fire.
last summer, i wrote a post about the basics of our backyard movie set up. i have included it below with some changes that we have made…
ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES
1. projector…ours is about 7 years old…it is an optoma ex530. you could use
2. laptop, iPad, or iPod…we have only connected our macbook pro to the projector…we may try streaming from the iPad now that our speaker situation has changed
3. speakers…we used to have wires connecting the speakers to the laptop, and it was just a disaster waiting to happen with kids running all over the place..we now use this bluetooth speaker
4. movie screen…i updated our movie screen by purchasing blackout curtain fabric and sewing it to fit over poles (8 ft. tree stakes) that we pound into the ground… it seems to work better as the light from the sun setting behind the screen is blocked, which means we can start our movies before it gets completely dark
5. extension cords…we plug one into the projector and one into the speaker
you’ll want to get a feel for how everything needs to be set up…do you need a table for the projector? how far should the projector be from the screen? what connects to what (i.e speakers connect to the laptop, laptop connects to the projector)?
we always do a test run by ourselves or with neighbors for our first movie of the year…there are bound to be some minor glitches and you want those worked out before you invite the entire neighborhood!
FUN STUFF
1. snacks: i purchased this popcorn maker and not only does it look cute, but it keeps ryan from spending the entire night making popcorn on the stove!
2. drinks: just like the snacks…keep it simple, BYOB, or provide something that goes along with the theme of the movie
3. blankets: thrifted quilts are awesome for backyard movie nights…i have a stash of them and put them on the grass. in the cooler months i stick a few thrifted afghans on the chairs around the fire pit and in a basket on the deck in case people need one.
4. chairs: use what you have or ask everybody to bring their own
5. twinkle lights: twinkle lights just make the whole scene magical. we have ours up year round in our backyard and it just sets the scene for a festive evening.
backyard movies have become one of my favorite things about summer in our backyard. we hope to have a lot more movie nights well into the fall…as long as the rain stays away!
have you tried a outdoor movie in your back (or front) yard? do you have any additional tips or ideas to share? please comment below!!
home is…making memories for our kids.
backyard movie night
happy summer!
you’d think i was new to this blogging thing with how long it took me to write this post!
well, i’m back and have lots of things to share with you, but first…
we had our first backyard movie of the summer saturday night.
it didn’t all go as smoothly as planned…
lorelai had complained about her stomach hurting before we ate dinner.
i dismissed it.
she didn’t want to eat much dinner, but i asked her to eat 3 pieces of her hot dog.
she chewed…
and, chewed…
and, chewed…
and spewed.
she got so sick.
all over the dining room, kitchen, and bathroom.
this was a first for us.
almost 6 years of parenting, and this is the first time we had to deal with a vomiting child.
she fell asleep while i was holding her on the floor of the hallway after her bath.
she cried and cried about our friends coming over for the movie.
we texted them and let them know what happened.
we were still planning to watch a movie, but wanted to inform them of lorelai’s sickness in case it was a virus.
luckily, they decided to still come over…they said, “it’s gonna take a lot more than a little vomit to keep us away!’
don’t you just love good friends like that?!
in addition to lorelai’s sickness, we also had a few technical difficulties:
1. peter pan was an HD movie and would not play through our projector, so we had to choose another movie (luckily we have plenty to choose from)
2. this time of year it stays light until after 10pm in the pacific northwest, so once we tried another movie we found it was still too light to watch it.
the kids thought it was fun to watch it on the laptop and that is when we changed our game plan…
we went for a quick walk around the neighborhood, regrouped, let it get a little darker, and chose a different movie.
jackpot!
the girls settled right in…it was the newest tinker bell movie, secret of the wings.
once we moved the cozy coupe and the “trailer” up from under the playhouse, the littlest of the bunch was happy.
eventually, we could all sit down and watch the movie…
or, sit back and relax in the chairs around the fire pit.
the movie ended, and shortly after that lorelai got sick again.
i took her upstairs to another bath and i snuggled her in bed with towels at the ready.
she was so sad.
luckily, that was the end of it for her sickness.
she ate fine all day sunday, and other than getting worn out from the heat, was back to her normal self.
so, i had a few questions from instagram followers and thought i would post a few tips for outdoor movies, so here it goes!
essential supplies
1. projector
2. laptop, iPad, or iPod
3. speakers
4. movie screen (i made ours from a painters drop cloth)
5. extension cords
you’ll want to get a feel for how everything needs to be set up…do you need a table for the projector? how far should the projector be from the screen? what connects to what (i.e speakers connect to the laptop, laptop connects to the projector)?
we always do a test run by ourselves or with neighbors for our first movie of the year…there are bound to be some minor glitches and you want those worked out before you invite the entire neighborhood!
fun stuff
1. snacks: last night we just did popcorn and popsicles. last fall we had a theme and centered the snacks around that. or, you can just have everybody bring their own snacks.
2. drinks: just like the snacks…keep it simple, BYOB, or provide something that goes along with the theme of the movie
3. blankets: thrifted quilts are awesome for backyard movie nights…i have a stash of them and put them on the air mattress and on the grass. in the cooler months i stick a few thrifted afghans on the chairs around the fire pit and in a basket on the deck in case people need one.
4. chairs: use what you have or ask everybody to bring their own
5. twinkle lights: twinkle lights just make the whole scene magical. we have ours up year round in our backyard and it just sets the scene for a festive evening.
backyard movies have become one of my favorite things about summer in our backyard. we hope to have a lot more movie nights well into the fall…as long as the rain stays away!
home is…back at it with backyard movie night (and blogging).
fall backyard movie night
Our First Annual Fall Backyard Movie Night was a great success!
We showed the classic 1966 Peanuts special, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.
Friends.
Fall decorations.
Hot chocolate and apple cider.
A blazing fire.
Lots of kids.
A basket of blankets.
The big screen.
Popcorn.
These faces.
A happy scene in my happy place.
home is…a celebration of fall with friends and neighbors.
the first annual
We’ll be watching this on the outdoor screen tomorrow night…
home is…fall in the air.
10 days
Since my last post.
Where did the time go?!
I’ve wanted to write, but I’ve been doing things.
Working on projects, exploring Portland, and enjoying a visit from Ryan’s parents.
{12 days}
Until school starts for my kiddos.
That means we have 12 days to soak up the rest that summer break has to offer.
Pool time, backyard fun, and maybe some additional adventures that we still need to cross off our summer list.
{8 days}
Until Ryan turns 40.
No party planned.
He didn’t want one.
I am kicking him out of the house this weekend.
I told him he had to go do something for himself and he had to be gone at least two nights.
It sounds like he has a perfect getaway planned.
{4 days}
Until college football starts.
Our house will be filled with the sights and sounds of college football all weekend.
I am so excited.
{10 days}
Until baby girl turns 3.
Where did the time go?!
photos from {m}iphone
MORE…photos from {m}iphone
home is…having too much fun to blog about it.
test run
Last night we invited out next door neighbors over for a test run of an outdoor movie in our backyard.
We had a campfire for roasting marshmallows.
And, once it got dark enough outside everything worked great!
My photography skills in the dark…not that great.
So, I changed all the photos to sepia.
You get the idea, right?
We watched Puss in Boots.
All boys…and baby girl!
The moon between the trees.
We’ll definitely be doing this again!
I have big plans for an outdoor movie party.
Check this one off our summer list!
And, can you all help me out with the photos? What settings should i be using/change?
I was shooting in auto…I’m not using manual, yet.
I don’t want to use flash, and the nighttime mode on my Nikon D60 just makes things blurry.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
home is…a successful test run (for the movie, not my night time photography skills)
stephany taddeo 